Control devices for generating auxiliary controls are known and widely used not only in the marine field, but also in the motor field, for generating auxiliary controls that can help to handle the vehicle.
With a particular reference to the marine field, these control devices for example are in charge of the control of the motor trim, that is the inclination of the motors with reference to the transom or the orientation of the trim tabs, that is the tabs regulating the attitude of the boat hull.
The coming of electronic control systems installed on boats has led to the development of different possible functions that can be taken by such control devices, since by simply changing the configuration of the control system it is possible to use the intermediate switch or changeover switch or switch device for activating any actuating device connected to the electronic control system for performing any function.
Thus, the control devices for generating auxiliary controls can take any function, both of primary importance, such as for example acceleration/deceleration control, and of lower importance such as for example turning on an apparatus on the boat.
The main advantage offered by such control devices for auxiliary functions is the fact that the actuating member can be placed near the steering control member, that is the wheel or steering wheel, such as for example exactly below said wheel or steering wheel such to allow the user to actuate auxiliary controls, in a simple manner and without the need of removing the hands from the steering wheel and therefore without losing the steering control of the boat and at the same time a stability in the position of the person in charge of handling the boat.
Generally the steering wheel or wheel act not only as steering control members but also as grip handles for the user steering the boat.
Under the same high adaptability to the several functions, the known prior art devices have a poor adaptability to the different types of boats and above all to the different types of installations.
The drive unit for the steering actuators can be of the hydraulic, electric, electromechanical, electronic, electrohydraulic or even only mechanical type. Depending on the several types of the plant, the steering shaft controlled by the steering control member, that is the wheel or steering wheel has several functions, however in all the variants such shaft is the input shaft of a mechanism transforming/transmitting the rotational mechanical motion into a steering actuating movement or in electric/electronic or hydraulic signals corresponding to the rotational mechanical motion, which mechanism is enclosed in a case intended to be mounted on or in the instrument panel of the bridge or of the dashboard.
For example, in the oil-hydraulic (hydraulic) version, the drive unit can be composed of a pump or of a control unit for the trim tabs that are controlled both by the wheel or steering wheel.
Since ergonomics and easiness in the control are important aspects of such devices, considering above all the fact that the steering wheel or the like, often and in contrast with a good handling rule, is also a stabilization element for the steersman, the devices known in the prior art are installed during the phase manufacturing the boat and are made on the basis of the constructional characteristics thereof
The constructional characteristics of the steering control member, such as for example the distance of the wheel from the bridge or from the drive unit, change depending on the boat, therefore the control devices for generating auxiliary controls have to be installed such to allow the user to easily operate them.
It derives that the control devices known in the prior art have to be made in a manner different time by time depending on the boat and possibly on the auxiliary function controlled thereby.
Moreover, in case of upgrades of boat handling plants related to the addition of handling functionalities besides those already present, such as for example the addition of elements for adjusting the attitude (so called trim tabs) or servo-controlled functionalities for the inclination of the motor with respect to the transom it is necessary to integrate the control bridge with the members for controlling the units intended to provide such auxiliary functions. These control members therefore require configurations suitable for being added in the most ergonomically favorable position for being used by the user in a manner harmonized with the other control members provided on the control bridge such as particularly the steering control members.
Therefore, there is the need not satisfied by the devices known in the prior art to provide a control device for generating auxiliary controls for a boat that solves the drawbacks of the devices known in the prior art.
A particularly important aspect is to provide a control device for generating auxiliary controls that allow a user to use the device without substantially removing or by removing only for a short time the hand or hands from the control member of the boat.